


i wanna be your best friend

by erintoknow



Series: Aria [14]
Category: Fallen Hero Series - Malin Rydén, Fallen Hero: Rebirth (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, POV Female Character, POV Second Person, Slow Burn, Trans Character, Trans Female Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-13
Updated: 2019-09-13
Packaged: 2020-10-17 10:10:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20619299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/erintoknow/pseuds/erintoknow
Summary: Ortega's been in a funk ever since the theft on the Ranger's HQ, how much time and space does she need?





	i wanna be your best friend

**Author's Note:**

> [[Rebel Girl by Bikini Kill]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfPskatvJm4)

For three weeks Ortega’s been in something of a depressive funk. Mask on in front of the news crews, the politicians, at meetings, but you can see it in the way she carries herself. The little sighs, the drop in energy the moment she think’s she’s on her own. The, even for her, incredibly risky moves during fights.

There’d been the hope that maybe her boyfriend would help, but then they broke up. Or– where they ever together to begin with, really? Come to think of it, had they ever actually gone out on a single date?

You tried to talk to Steel and Sentinel about it; they’ve known Ortega for ages after all. But Steel refused to talk about, calling the whole thing an ‘internal affair’ and Sentinel said to just give her time and some space.

Well you’ve given plenty of space and time and the worry is starting to eat at you. Which is why you are pacing in the conference room, trying to psyche yourself up. You freeze when the door opens and watch the moment when the mask falls onto Ortega’s face. “Sidestep! What are you doing here?”

“Ortega, uh–” You grab the back of one of the chairs. “I– I wanted to talk with you, actually. You’re off, uh, off-duty tonight, right?” Not like you don’t already know the answer from snooping around but you need to sell this right.

“..yeah, I guess?” Ortega arches an eyebrow at you. “Why?”

Dig your fingers into the back of the chair, fight the urge to run. You try to smile at her, “Good. I– I– I’m coming over tonight, okay?”

There’s a moment of confusion and then the hint of a smile on Ortega’s face. “What’s the occasion?”

You shake your head. “N–no reason,” you lie, “just… let’s have some fun, okay?”

“Alright…? I’ll see you tonight then.”

* * *

You fidget with your dress as you follow Ortega into her apartment.The bra inserts aren’t exactly sitting right but you can’t fix that now. At least the sun down now, the leggings and long sleeves aren’t as insufferable as normal.

You’ve never actually visited Ortega on your own initiative like this before. At least the apartment attendants were gone for the evening. One less conversation to avoid. Your heart is pounding and stomach churning enough already.

It’ll be fine.

You’ve got a plan.

Stick to the plan

“Sorry for making you wait down there,” Ortega says as she locks the door behind you. “I was just cleaning up a bit when you buzzed.”

Smile, swing your backpack up on the kitchen table. “It’s fine?”

“What’ve you got in there? And…” She eyes the guitar case you’ve got slung across your back. “Is that a guitar? You play guitar?”

You shoot her a nervous grin. “Supplies, and…” you run a hand along the case, “…almost?” You shift through the backpack, pulling out a six-pack of cheap beer and a small portable cassette player with a handful of tapes.

There’s a strange expression on Ortega’s face, like she’s trying to figure you out all over again. “You never told me you play an instrument.”

You stop with the zipper halfway down on the guitar case and look up at her. “There’s a lot I don’t talk about.

“That’s–”

“J–just like you– you never talked about Marshal Hood.”

The expression on Ortega’s face melts and the stomach drops with it.

“S-sorry.” You bit your lip, try to rally. “It’s fine,” you lie. “You– you don’t need to talk about it. Let’s just… let’s just have some fun tonight? Okay?”

Julia rubs her nose, a smile tugging up on her face. “Alright.”

As you finish unzipping the case you pause, a sudden worry niggling at the back of your head. You look up and will yourself to look Julia in the eyes. “If– if– uh, if any of the other Rangers hear about this, then uh–” you struggle to think of something sufficiently terrible as punishment, “we’re no longer friends, got it?”

Julia smiles, draws her fingers across her mouth in a zipping motion. “Your terrible secret is safe with me, Ariadne.”

“G-g-good.” You slide Julia a can as she sits down at the table and pull the bass guitar out of the case, slinging the strap over your head. God, your palms are sweaty as hell as you check the tuning. “So– uh– I don’t have an amp or anything and I’m not very good but–”

Julia cups her hands around her mouth, “Freebird!”

You give her a tired stare. “Try again.”

She cackles, “Alright, alright.” Poking through the tapes, she singles one out with a finger. “What’s this one? It’s says ‘_for Alex_’?”

“What?” You peer over, “Oh. Whoops, that’s…” Chew the inside of your cheek. “It’s nothing, uh–” You glance at Julia, the question plain on her face. You make yourself smile. “Yeah, we can play this one, if you want.”

“_We_?”

You give her a look. “Y-you’re not gonna make me humiliate myself alone, are you?”

Julia laughs, shaking her head as she holds up the tape to read the labels. “I’m not sure I recognize any of these bands. X-Ray Spex? The Gits?” She shoots you a glance, “_Bikini Kill?_”

“Oh?” A smirk creeps up your face, “Is Charge backing down from a challenge?”

Julia opens her mouth. Closes it. Finally, she returns your smirk, “Alright you, you’re going to regret that one.”

You swallow down the lump in your throat, nervous energy coming out through your fingers as you strum the strings. “We’ll see about that,” you say as Julia loads a tape in the player.

When the familiar pitch of a woman’s voice breaks out over the strumming of guitar, you can’t stop the grin on your face as you wrap the song around yourself and start singing along to _Rebel Girl_.

You trip over the line ‘_in her kiss, I taste the revolution_’ but you’re pretty sure Ortega doesn’t notice.


End file.
